Pros And Cons Of Westward Expansion

Therefor, Andrew Jackson ruled more like a king than a ruler of the common man. Andrew Jackson created the Indian Removal Act of 1830 that forced Native Americans to move west into modern day Oklahoma. Andrew Jackson described the Indians as children needing guidance. The Indian Removal Act affected five large Indian tribes known as the Cherokee, Seminole, Chickasaw, Creek and Choctaw.

The United States is always in an ever changing state. This is especially true during the westward expansion that followed the Civil War and the ever expanding American Industrial Revolution. There are three major events that occurred in the late 19th century that set the precedence for the westward expansion of America. With American still in a new born state, there was many great accomplishments and many failures. I am going to breakdown the westward expansion during 1860-1890 after analyzing the Westward Expansion map from PBS Learning Media website, to assess how the westward expansion moved between the 1860’s and 1890’s (Westward Expansion, 1860-1890, n.d.).

Reuben Ackarie Professor King History 102 25 Feb 17. Railroad Westward Expansion from 1860 to 1890 The history of America is grounded in the concepts of immigration, expansion, and economic growth. When European settlers arrived along the East Coast, they developed a new doctrine called the manifest destiny that would guide their path (Manifest). The project to join the East and West Coast; which once could be considered as an impossible task, gradually gained steam (pardon the pun).

From sea to shining sea. That line from “America the Beautiful” defines the goal of the United States in the 1840’s. But why was this the goal? What caused this drive for expansion? During the mid-19th century, Americans set their sights of land west of the Louisiana Purchase.

On May 28, 1830, President Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act. Native Americans who didn’t want to relocate would become citizens of their home state. The Indian Removal Act separated Indians from immediate contact with settlements of whites. free them from the power of the States; enable them to pursue happiness in their own way and under their own rude institutions.

The Indian Removal Act was signed in 1830 by President Andrew Jackson to remove the Cherokee Indians from their homes and force them to settle west of the Mississippi River. The act was passed in hopes to gain agrarian land that would replenish the cotton industry which had plummeted after the Panic of 1819. Andrew Jackson believed that effectively forcing the Cherokees to become more civilized and to christianize them would be beneficial to them. Therefore, he thought the journey westward was necessary. In late 1838, the Cherokees were removed from their homes and forced into a brutal journey westward in the bitter cold.

The Indian Removal Act was passed during Andrew Jackson’s presidency on May 28, 1830. This authorized the president to grant land that was west of the Mississippi River to Indians that agreed to give up their homeland. They believed that the land could be more profitably farmed by non-Indians.

There were challenges that played out as they tried to expand. Many of the challenges were overcome, but there were still obstacles that had to be examined. The economic motivations that encouraged the Westward Expansion were one of the reasons that many truly wanted to expand. The people that were expanding gained land for America

The Westward Expansion all started when America made the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. There were many benefits from the purchase for the US that the French didn’t realize before they sold it. The purchase gave the US access to the Mississippi river which allowed for expansion of river trade to the North and South from the center of the US. The port city of New Orleans was bought by the US and its prosperity benefited the US greatly. The US sent Lewis and Clark west to investigate the land they purchased.

On July 17, 1830, the Cherokee nation published an appeal to all of the American people. United States government paid little thought to the Native Americans’ previous letters of their concerns. It came to the point where they turned to the everyday people to help them. They were desperate. Their withdrawal of their homeland was being caused by Andrew Jackson signing the Indian Removal Act into law on May 28, 1830.

That is just one of many reasons there was Westward Expansion. Overpopulation, new inventions of transportation methods, and new opportunities. These are three of many reasons why Americans in the 1800’s felt urged to move west. Some may claim that Westward expansion was not right for America to do because of the conflicts that were aroused afterward.

In 1804, a new age was dawning; the economy was growing, and so was the United States. For the sake of westward expansion, President Jefferson bought the Louisiana Territory for the price of 15 million dollars, more than doubling the size of the United States. He then sent Meriwether Lewis, with his former military superior and chosen co-captain, William Clark, on an expedition into the West (Britannica). They and their team of over thirty men, the Corps of Discovery, set off with their goal not only to document their discoveries, but also to establish ties with native people, expand the American fur trade, and search for the Northwest Passage (Klepeis, 24). Along the way, the group faced countless dangers that put them at the risk of failure.

Westward Expansion The idea of westward expansion was a pivotal point in our nation’s history. People were looking for something new and exciting. They found it in the form of adventure, excitement, fame, and untold riches! Two key events played a role in the move to push colonists farther into new territory.

How did the United States expand over the years and why? The expansion of the United States was a vital part of America’s history and greatly affects how we live today. America's early days only started in 13 states and then progressively grew to 50 states in total. The time throughout the 1800’s and what happened throughout that time greatly impacted how America expanded land, resources, opportunity, trade, and money. Two of many main causes that evoked American expansion was the amount of opportunity that America could take, the idea of Manifest destiny, and the amount of power that the US had on other countries.

However, in 1830, the Indian removal act of 1830 was signed by Andrew Jackson and suddenly everything changed. “The Indian Removal Act in 1830 forced the relocation of more than 60,000 Native Americans to clear